Sunday, March 14, 2010

Photos Part 2: Lt. Governor Contest, DPNM Pre-Primary Convention 2010

Brian Colón was the top vote getter with 34.5% and gave a fiery speech accepting the nomination

This is one of a series of posts about this weekend's Democratic Pre-Primary Convention. Check back for more photos, videos and commentary on all the action as we get everything processed and organized. Click to see the whole series of posts.

This year, Democrats fielded five primary candidates for Lieutenant Governor and the competition for delegates was spirited. Rep. Joe Campos, Brian Colón, Sen. Linda Lopez, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Lawrence Rael participated in a number of candidate forums and debates and worked hard to attract supporters, get them elected as delegates and convince State Central Committee members to get on board.

With two large video screens bracketing the stage and animated, sign-wielding campaigners leaping in the aisles or hopping up onto the platform, there were numerous colorful and noisy tableaux of the political kind for delegates to savor. We had family members, former teachers, energetic supporters dressed in all kinds of get-ups, fellow politicos and more joining in the nominating spectacles.

Lawrence Rael's supporters marched onstage blowing train whistles. Jerry Ortiz y Pino had almost all of his supporters dance up the aisles and try to get on stage with him, all at once. Joe Campos filled the stage with friends and followers with his family front and center. Brian Colón provided a contrast by commanding the stage on his own, with hundreds of cheering supporters all over the hall. Linda Lopez concentrated on speech, emphasizing her "passion and hunger for politics." You can get a taste of what went on in the photo slideshow below:

When all was said and done, only two candidates got the 20% needed to get on the primary ballot without having to get more petition signatures according to the machine count and a later review. The latest results are the product of a ballot review (or preliminary recount) performed because some of the candidates were so close to getting the 20% needed to get on the primary ballot, although the review didn't seem to change things much on that score:

We understand that a formal recount for certification will start tomorrow morning at the DPNM office, so we'll see how that goes.

It was a heartbreaker for Joe Campos, his family and all his supporters. In the machine tally, he was two tenths of a percent away from 20% -- at least given how the figures were rounded. If you looked at it another way, he had the exact number of votes needed -- but the official rules dictated otherwise. Ortiz y Pino was also very close to 20%. Indications are that all candidates under 20% will try to get the signatures they need by March 31 to get onto the ballot despite the Party vote.

Colón Comments
Brian Colón's campaign released a statement saying he had "solidified his place as the front runner."

"I'm honored by this nomination and humbled that so many Democrats from all corners of New Mexico are supporting our campaign because they share my belief that Government should be in the business of helping people," Colón said. "Democratic values are much more than cheap campaign rhetoric. They make a difference in people's lives. I know, because I've lived those values," Colón continued.

"Growing up I learned that we help our neighbors when they're down. We make sure every child gets a good education. And if somebody's sick, they get the best health care available. That's what the Democratic Party stands for and that's why I'm working so hard to be Diane Denish's running mate for Lieutenant Governor," Colón added.

Rael Comments
Lawrence Rael released a statement saying he had "strong support" from delegates, that "reflected a growing sentiment that Rael is the best complement for Diane Denish on the Democratic ticket."

“I’m pleased that New Mexicans are responding to the many things we have accomplished together during my 25 years of public service,” Rael said. “My experiences, coupled with Diane Denish’s leadership, are key to moving our state forward.”

“It’s really remarkable that the other four candidates in this race have all run for office before and have been working on the convention delegates for years,” said Rael campaign manager John Gerhart. “We’re pleased that people have been won over this quickly to Lawrence and his candidacy. We’re really looking forward to the primary campaign.”

Campos Comments
The Campos campaign hasn't released a formal statement, but Joe wrote these comments on his Facebook page:

"Thanks to our many friends & supporters. We fell just short of our goal of 20% of the 1776 votes - got 355, needed 355.2. This is amazing considering the time dedicated to the legis. session and special session midcampaign. I'm overwhelmed w/ your support & desire to go on with the campaign. The actual vote recount is on but regardless of the outcome WE'RE GOING FOR IT! Go Team Campos! Go Diane Denish!"

Ortiz y Pino Comments
On Monday, Jerry Ortiz y Pino sent an email message to supporters that said, in part:

"We will start gathering additional signatures on petition forms and submit them by the deadline in ten days. And on with the campaign! Now we have the toughest part of the race, but the one that we all know is the most crucial: getting our message out to the voters and then getting those voters out to the polls on June 1.

"... If we don't get a big turnout of the left wing of the Party, it will be very hard for Diane to win. None of the other candidates for the Lt. Governor nomination have a message that will excite the left wing."

Lopez Comments
I haven't seen any statement released by the campaign of Sen. Linda Lopez.

(Updated) Back from the DPNM Pre-Primary Convention: Down from the Mountains and Through the Snow

Update: The preliminary hand recount is over and here are the latest results for the Lt. Gov. race:

Brian Colon- 591 delegate votes, 34.54%

Lawrence Rael- 379, 22.15%

Joe Campos- 337, 19.69%

Jerry Ortiz y Pino 323, 18.87%

Linda Lopez 81, 4.73%

*************** We're back in Albuquerque after The-Best-New-Mexico-Democratic-Convention-Ever. Energy, enthusiasm and Democrats galore all weekend at Buffalo Thunder. We drove back late this morning through a blowing snowstorm that turned into wind and rain that turned into spectacular cloud formations all around with big sunbeams breaking through and spotlighting the snow-sprinkled mountains surrounding us. We're in a great mood and we'll be working hard to get all our photos, videos and commentary ready for publication but, at the moment, we're eating breakfast burritos and catching our breath.

If you haven't yet seen the results of the three main contested races, here they are:

Lieutenant Governor

Brian Colón, 34.3 percent*

Lawrence Rael, 21.9 percent*

Joe Campos, 19.9 percent

Jerry Ortiz y Pino, 18.6 percent

Linda Lopez, 5 percent

Land Commissioner

Ray Powell, 44.4 percent*

Harry Montoya, 19.3 percent

Sandy Jones, 18.6 percent

Mike Anaya, 17.6 percent

NM Court of Appeals

Judge Linda M. Vanzi 72.32*

Dennis W. Montoya 27.68*

* = qualified for primary ballot without the need to submit additional signatures. The rest will have to submit more signatures within 10 days.

NOTE: Joe Campos missed the ballot cutoff by one vote, or he made the number needed exactly -- depending on how certain percentages are handled. He and Harry Montoya and Sandy Jones each called for a recount, which reportedly is still ongoing.

I'll be back soon with more, but at this point we want to extend big thanks for a job well done and so much hard work to Chairman Javier Gonzales and all of the Party officers, as well as the staff and volunteers of the Democratic Party of New Mexico! This was one for the history books in more ways than one. Gracias and congratulations to all involved!

Friday, March 12, 2010

3/24: Join Birthday Celebration of Lt. Gov. Candidate Lawrence Rael

You are invited to celebrate the birthday of Lt. Governor candidate, Lawrence Rael. Please come and join the fun from 5:30-8:00 PM on Thursday, March 24, at the Embassy Suites (I-25 & Lomas) in Albuquerque (map). RSVP at rsvp@rael2010.org. Contributions welcome but not required!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Following up on our post with a photo slideshow and videos yesterday, here are more clips from the DFA-Democracy for New Mexico Democratic Lt. Governor candidate debate held on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at the UNM Law School in Albuquerque. Rep. Joe Campos, Brian Colon, Sen. Linda Lopez, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Lawrence Rael answer questions posed by DFNM and the audience on a variety of issues. If you couldn't make it to the debate, here's your chance to gauge how the candidates responded on a variety of issues. If you were there, these videos might refresh your memories of what was said.

Above: Candidates answer a three-part question on social issues. Do you support a women's right to choose? Do you support marriage equality for LGBT citizens? Do you support concealed carry of guns in restaurants with beer and wine licenses?

Above: Candidates answer a question on whether they support HB 178, the bill sponsored by State Rep. Moe Maestas that would allow for a sentence of treatment for nonviolent drug offenders rather than jail time. The bill passed the House in the recent special session but never got a vote in the Senate.

Above: Candidates answer a question on whether they support the budget and tax package passed in the recent special session of the New Mexico Legislature.

Above: Candidates answer a question on how we can get more jobs in New Mexico.

Above: Candidates answer a question on why they want to be Lt. Governor, what makes them the best candidate for the job and what they would bring to the ticket.

We'll have additional videos from the debate posted soon, so keep checking back.

Delegates to the DPNM Pre-Primary Convention on March 13 at Buffalo Thunder Resort will vote on candidates in this race and other statewide contests to determine their positions on the June 2 primary ballot. A candidate must get at least 20% of the delegate vote to appear on the ballot without having to obtain additional petition signatures.

Monday, March 08, 2010

Dem Lt. Gov. Candidate Debate Featured Lively Exchanges Before 150+

More than 150 Democrats attended the DFA-Democracy for New Mexico debate with the five Democratic candidates for Lieutenant Governor on Saturday morning at the UNM Law School in Albuquerque. Turns out most of them will serve as delegates at the DPNM Pre-Primary Convention in Pojaoque on March 13, where they'll be voting for their favorites in this race, as well as in a number of other statewide contests. The League of Women Voters provided the moderator and time keepers for the event.

Rep. Joe Campos, Brian Colon, Sen. Linda Lopez, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Lawrence Rael each answered a set of questions submitted by DFNM and the audience, and got to pose a question of their own to the candidate seated next to them. The seating was determined by picking numbers out of a container. Each candidate also got an opening and closing statement.

The candidate-to-candidate questions, as well as one from the audience that asked each participant to announce who'd they'd vote for if they weren't in the race, produced the most lively and compelling interchanges. Generally, interactions were spirited but good natured, although there were a couple of moments where some minor sparks flew. These are, after all, all Democrats -- and Democrats are generally quite opinionated!

Here's a video of all the candidates' answers on who they'd support if they weren't in the race:

Below are a collection of videos of each candidate responding to a question from another candidate.

Above: Lawrence Rael answers question from Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino on whether Lawrence would make a better chief of staff than a lt. governor (L); Sen. Linda Lopez answers question from Lawrence Rael on the issues that will be important in November (R).

Above: Rep. Joe Campos answers question from Sen. Linda Lopez on who has given him the best advice in his life (L); Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino answers question by Lawrence Rael on how Jerry can work with Diane Denish on the ticket (R).

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Saturday: Dem Lt. Gov. Candidate Debate at UNM Law School

The DFA-Democracy for New Mexico Meetup is excited to be hosting a debate for the Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor on Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 10:00 AM in Room 2401 at the UNM Law School located at 1117 Stanford NE in Albuquerque (map).

Sign-in will begin at 9:30 AM that day, and the event will start promptly at 10:00 AM. The debate will be moderated by a representative from the League of Women Voters.

Please tell your friends and neighbors about this. We'd love to have a large turnout as all of the five candidates for Lt. Governor have blocked out time in their busy schedules to participate. Confirmed participants are: Rep. Joe Campos, Brian Colon, Sen. Linda Lopez, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino and Lawrence Rael. This is the last chance to see the candidates before the DPNM Pre-Primary Convention set for March 13 at Buffalo Thunder Resort in Pojoaque.

Please keep an eye out for further emails about his event, however, as it may have to be rescheduled if the special session of the New Mexico Legislature runs through Saturday. We'll keep you posted!

The DFA-DFNM Meetup has been happening monthly since 2003, when it began as a Dean for America Meetup. The LG candidate debate will replace the group's regular monthly Meetup for March.

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

NM Lt. Gov. Candidate Lawrence Rael Announces Tribal Endorsements

Lawrence Rael, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, today announced that he has received the endorsement of the All Indian Pueblo Council and 7 separate tribal governments, including Isleta Pueblo, Santa Domingo Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, Zia Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo and Pojaque Pueblo.

“Lawrence’s ability to build partnerships and get good things done would have been enough to earn our endorsement,” said Governor Benavidez of the Isleta Pueblo in a statement released by the campaign. “But what really sets him apart is his integrity and the respect he shows to everyone he works with.”

First as City Manager of Albuquerque and later as Executive Director of the Mid-Region Council of Governments, Rael says he worked closely with cities and tribal governments throughout the region.

“Whether it was getting a Rail Runner station in Santo Domingo, helping with Bosque restoration projects in Isleta, or arranging meetings between local mayors and the All Indian Council, I have always enjoyed working with the tribal leaders,” said Rael. “I’m honored that they’re supporting me in my bid for Lieutenant Governor.”

Rael was born in Northern New Mexico and served as the chief administrative officer in Albuquerque for three different mayors. His relationship with other parts of New Mexico was forged when he served as Senator Jeff Bingaman’s municipal liaison before beginning his administrative career. Most recently, Rael was responsible for the construction and maintenance of the RailRunner train running between Belen and Santa Fe. Visit his website at www.rael2010.org.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Update: I heard from the Brian Colón campaign and was informed that, according to their data collected on delegates pledging to vote for Colón, Brian received "between 12 and 14 hard yeses" from delegates elected in Taos County. They stressed that they believe their count is very accurate. The campaign also told me they secured well over their 30 percent delegate goal in Valencia County.***********
The Taos County Democratic Party held a straw poll last night on the Lt. Governor race, and Sen. Jerry Ortiz Y Pino came out on top by a healthy margin, according to information provided by Jerry's campaign:

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino 41%

Lawrence Rael 28%

Rep. Joe Campos 28%

Sen. Linda Lopez 2.6%

Brian Colón 0%

All of the Dem Lt. Gov. candidates except Brian Colón spoke to attendees before the vote. Colón sent a statement to be read to the group.

Today, the Taos County Dems voted to elect delegates who will attend the Party's Pre-Primary Convention set for March 13 at the Buffalo Thunder Resort in Pojoaque. The results were very similar to the straw vote the night before.

Ortiz Y Pino Wins at Least 24/48 Delegates:
According to Steve Cabiedes of Ortiz y Pino's campaign, at least 24 delegates who plan to vote for Jerry will go to the Pre-Primary, out of the 48 delegates Taos County will send -- or 50% of the total. Cabiedes believes Rael and Campos each got about 25% of the delegates, while Lopez got one delegate and Colón got none. He said the campaign was very happy with the results, and that Taos County was one of their targeted areas.

It's hard to get an exact count because folks vote for delegates, not candidates. However, Cabiedes said he was confident about the numbers because the campaigns make contacts within each county and keep tabs on people who say they'll vote for each candidate. When folks are elected as delegates, the campaigns have a pretty good idea who they'll vote for at the Party Convention.

The only other straw poll of LG candidates took place at the December meeting of the Sandoval County Dems. The vote results there were: Brian Colón 39, Rep. Joe Campos 33, Lawrence Rael 27, Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino 25 and Sen. Linda Lopez 11.

Democratic candidates must receive at least 20% of the statewide votes at the Pre-Primary Convention to get their names on the June primary ballot without having to gather additional petition signatures. The number of votes also determines the order the names will be printed on the ballot.

The Mora County Dem Party is also holding its delegate election today, with 8 slots at stake. Delegate ward elections in Bernalillo County are set for this coming Thursday evening, February 4. By far the largest of the county parties in the state, Bernalillo Dems will send a total of 610 delegates to the state Pre-Primary -- or about 40% of the total.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Yesterday, Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, Lawrence Rael, welcomed supporters to the official opening of his campaign office in Albuquerque, located at 7208 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B. More than 60 people showed up for the celebration, which included way too many top-notch munchies brought by friends and supporters.

In talking to the crowd, Rael emphasized his 25 years of experience in bringing people together to solve problems and his proven track record of getting things done. He described the positive reactions of people he's worked with in the past to his work ethic and management style, and their enthusiasm about helping him in his campaign. As top priorities, he mentioned jobs, education and investment in New Mexico's future.

Rael talks about jobs, long term planning for future

Rael also talked about education, and investing consistently in the professional development of teachers so they are on the cutting edge. He discussed his feelings and the pride he saw in the people when the Rail Runner began service, representing investment in ourselves. He said we need to focus attention on what New Mexico wants to be when it grows up, and develop long-term planning to meet the challenges we face with the state's finances, water and infrastructure.

People at the event last night talk about why they support Lawrence Rael:

Thursday, January 21, 2010

From Lawrence Rael for Lt. Governor:
You're invited to an open house at Lawrence Rael's new campaign office in Albuquerque on Monday, January 25, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Appetizers and beverages will be served. Contributions appreciated. Click for flyer (pdf).

The campaign office is located at 7208 Jefferson St. NE, Suite B, in Albuquerque (map). Please RSVP to Tracy Perea at 505-350-7537 or tracy@rael2010.org. Contributions can be made payable and sent to: Lawrence Rael for New Mexico, P.O. Box 31456, Santa Fe, NM .

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Here's more of our coverage of Thursday's Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate forum hosted by the Democratic Party of Bernalillo County. Check out video clips of the responses of the five candidates to the second question:

If taxes have to be raised how should it be done?

See below the fold for the videos of candidate answers in the order they responded so you can make up your own mind on who had the best answer:

Sen. Linda Lopez: Said we need to raise revenue in NM but it's a balanacing act. She's sponsored a bill for four years to do away with the income tax break for the upper income group. Early on, she stood against the governor on that. Independence comes from that. We need to do what's right for New Mexicans. There are many taxes on the table but one is an equalizer and helps us as a people. Why should those earning $200,000 a year be paying the same tax rate as someone making $10,000?

Rep. Joe Campos: The issue is the 2003 tax cuts and that's why the state of New Mexico is having problems now. The House did vote to put automatic triggers on the bill so if the economy declined, the cuts would end. But the Senate did away with the triggers in the bill. Now we don't have oil and gas funds and we find ourselves with a serious issue. We need to get rid of the 2003 cuts but keep the middle class cuts. The wealthy have had seven years of tax breaks, but we need to end that now. We need to create a progressive tax system.

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino: It's not if taxes are need but because taxes are needed. There's an LFC proposal now to cut teacher and state employee salarie by 2 percent and budgets 5% including higher education. We still have a $200 million gap so we need taxes. We can settle for $200 million or get serious and go for a $500 million total tax increase. Problem is we flattened out our upper tax brackets so couples making more than $26,000 a year pay the same percentage as those much higher. There's only one upper tax bracket and that's nuts. We need to reinstitute some progressivity in our tax brackets. If we did, we wouldn't have to do anything beyond that. We can also look at closing corporate tax loopholes and sin taxes. What we cannot do is reinstitute the food tax.

Brian Colon: It's a very difficult decison but there's no question taxes are on table. Rescind big box loopholes that exist in only two states -- OK and NM. Walmarts etc. won't move out to OK if we close the loopholes. They will pay fair share. As far as the rich, we have to have a progressive tax system. We've taken all the progressivity out. We need to protect small business and the middle class. Need to reevaluate every one of the tax breaks of 2003. Today New Mexicans are hurting and we have to reevaluate our tax structure and start rolling back breaks given in 2003. Says he and his wife Aleli want one thing -- to pay their fair share. We won't balance this budget on the backs of teachers. End of story. Bottom line.

Lawrence Rael: Will give a different perspective. When we balance our checkbooks we adjust how we're spending dollars. We have to look at that first and foremost. Says he balanced 12 budgets as CAO of City of Albuquerque. When we balance the budget, in lean times there's an opportunity for innovation and creativity. How can we deliver services and do better with what we have, living within our means? Supports idea that citizens need to pay their fair share, but says we have a responsibility to live within our means and do what we have to do in the most efficient and equitable way. If have to have a tax increase, he says he supports a tax on junk food, sin taxes and looking at how we tax big box industries. But says he would look first of all at living within our means before we move forward into taxes.